Art of transforming wood and other cellulose-containing materials.



GEORGE W.HERBEIN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

ART OF TRANSFORMING WOOD AND OTHER GELLULOSE-CONTAINING MATERIALS.

masses.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. HERBEIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Art of Transforming Wood and other Cellulose- Containing Materials, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the art of transforming wood and other cellulose-containing material, that is, materials of plant ori-- gin, having a fiber or grain in whole or in part, and either homogeneous or composed of adhesive or cohesive layers.

The object of my invention is to so change the nature of these substances, that they become adapted for easy, firm and uniform cutting and leave a smooth, regular, substantially fiberless and grainless surface. This peculiarity adapts them for a varlety of uses in many arts, such, for example, as carving, frame-making, rulers, pen holders, and particularly pencils.

My invention consists in the novel process which I shall now fully describe.

ll boil-the wood or other like cellulosecontaining material at a temperature ranging between 340 and 4.00 degrees Fahrenheit, in parafin for a period of about 40 minutes. For example, I have taken incense cedar woodand boiled it in paraflin maintaining the temperature at from 380 to 4.00 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes.

Before treatment the wood was tough .with a woolly grain and cut with ragged edges. After treatment it could be sharpened well and easily even with a blade not very sharp. It left a smooth close surface with no ragged edges. The blade slipped through it smoothly with no interference or misdirection. In a mechanical pencil sharpener it acted perfectly.

In some cases, I may add resin to the parafin. l have found that this enhances the desired result in that it acts as an ab-. sorbent for surplus paraiiin and prevents any tendency to greasiness. For example, in the case above cited, resin was added.

Also, I may initially color the wood. For example, in the case given above, I previously colored the cedar with an alcoholic solution of anilin dyes, making allowance for the subsequent slight darkening of the Specification of Letters IPatent.

Application filed August 5, 1916. Serial No. 113,284.

Patented Aug. '2, 19ft.

material under treatment. The. philosophy of the transformation or change may be a matter of opinion. In giving mine, 1 can only say that it appears to be as follows.

The fibers, cellular and fibrous textures of wood and other cellulose containing materials, in many cases are tough, hard and uneven, and in consequence do not yield readily to cutting and shaping into forms,

liow, I have found, by numerous tests and experiments that these substances when heated in parafiin, either alone or mixed withresin, do not change their nature-in the manner I desire, when the temperature is below, say, 306 degrees Fahr. They seem simply to absorb the paraifin or the paraifin and resin, leaving them soggy, heavy, saturated and greasy. But at a higher temperature, and below that at. which they will char, a material and fundamental change takes place. This change I may characterize as a kind of disintegration, weakening, partial destruction and breaking up of the cellular, fibrous structures and grain, adapting the substances so transformed to yield readily and smoothly to cutting tools, even dull ones; and, at the same time, instead of being weighty, soggy, greasy and pitchy, they resume their lightness, a fact which is probably due to their parting under the higher degree of heat with their own moisture, oils, egg}; and having substituted the lighter para I, therefore, regard temperature as essential, but in giving the range from 3&0 to

400 degrees Fahn, I mean'thesefigures as so approximate and do not limit myself to them absolutely, for the change may take place-somewhat below the lower figure, and may still be efiective without charringsomewhat above the higher figure. The essential feature is the transformation itself. The same may be said withregard to the time period. The time given above is only ap proximate; it may be longer or shorter and still produce the desired change. This will necessarily vary.

I claim 1. The herein described process of transforming wood, and other cellulose containing materials, consisting in boilingthe same in parafin for. approximately 40 minutes at a temperature ranging approximately between 340 and 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. The herein, described process of trans- In testimony whereof I have signed my forming wood, and other cellulose containname to this specification in the-presence of ing materials, consisting in boilin the same two subscrib' witnesses' in paraffin and resin for approxlmately 4O EORGE W. HERBEIN.

, minutes at a temperature ranging approxi- Witnesses:

mately between 340 and 400 degrees Fahren- WM. F. Boom, heit. D. B. RICHARDS. 

